Today in history: April 17

1864: Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant suspended prisoner of war exchanges.

Also today in history, in the U.S. and elsewhere:

1861: Virginia seceded from the Union.

1945: The Eighth Air Force bombed Dresden. In a desperate measure to slow the Allied advance through the Netherlands, German occupiers broke the dykes to flood Wieringermeer. In the Philippines, U.S. Army troops landed in central Mindanao.

1961: About 1,400 Cuban exiled land in the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Communist Commandant Fidel Castro. This did not end well.

1975: The Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge.

In Other News

Medical care limits for transgender minors complicate defense bill

A provision in the must-pass defense measure would block certain military medical care options for transgender youth.

Lawmakers call for in-depth VA study on blast pressure injuries

The 10-year research plan would examine blast injuries among veterans and offer suggestions for treatments.

Will senior enlisted troops see a targeted pay boost in 2026?

After lawmakers agreed to plans to boost pay for junior enlisted troops, they are now shifting focus to more senior enlisted members.

Congress to boost junior enlisted pay by thousands of dollars in 2025

Troops E-4 and below will see a 14.5% pay raise under a deal reached by congressional negotiators this week.

Nonprofits urge Biden to pardon veterans with bad paper discharges

Buoyed by Joe Biden's pardon of his son, veterans advocates are urging the president to use his pardoning power to help veterans with bad paper discharges.

Load More